Lacey Call: From Graphic Design to Sculpture
By Monica Obradovic
Staff Writer
This spring, “varsity” isn’t only for sports. Last month, Meramec student Lacey Call was one of 42 student artists chosen to have their work displayed at the St. Louis Varsity Art Show.
Call’s piece is a sculpture called “Pine”, a tree-trunk she smoothed and ground into art. A graphic communications major, sculpting became a way for Call to work with her hands and get away from the computer screen.
“There’s things I love about every medium of art. Sculpting is more physical labor, and it’s a lot more tiring, but right now I think sculpting is my favorite,” said Call.
Call created the sculpture using an angle grinder tool, taking advantage of open studio hours on Saturdays to get the work done. Construction of “Pine” required peeling off bark and grinding until the trunk was smooth.
“There was all this weird fungus and bugs and stuff that I had to scrape away,” said Call. “Every time I grinded the branches it showed this red color that I thought was really cool.”
“Pine” was submitted to the competition by Call’s sculpture professor, Joe Chesla. The piece was displayed for most of March at the Regional Arts Commission near the Delmar Loop. Outside of sculpting and digital design, Call practices many mediums of art including painting and printmaking. She calls herself, “a jack of all trades.”
“Pine” is neither Call’s first sculpture nor her first recognition in the St. Louis art world. Call once made a ceramic piece of Mike Wazowski from Disney movie “Monsters Inc.” that was entered and subsequently displayed at a St. Louis Artist Guild show.
Along with the support of her professors, Call finds inspiration for her art from her family, friends and St. Louis Community College.
“I think because of the art teachers, the facilities and the resources, STLCC is a good creative environment for sure,” said Call.
Call also draws inspiration from Chuck Close, a painter most notable for his portraits containing paintings within paintings. While some of Close’s work is on display at the St. Louis Art Museum, Call isn’t hoping to one day have her work hanging alongside his. She would prefer her work to be
personally fulfilling.
“I always have the goal to work the hardest that I can at something,” said Call. “To make something really meaningful with hard work.”
Call will attend STLCC next semester to take Sculpture II. “Pine” is currently displayed in the Humanities
East building.
